Counseling technique paper: art therapy and DAP note
The page allocation is the outline, and it is unusually prescriptive. One page of technique, one of documentation, four of reflection, two of goals — and the reflection is where the graduate-level marks are.
Editorial process
Last reviewed · August 15, 2026
Seven or eight pages, and each one has a job
This brief hands you its own structure, so use it. Page one is the technique practised with a child, adolescent or family; page two is the session documented in a DAP note; pages three to six are reflection on your responses and the process; pages seven and eight cover goals or objectives the technique addresses, developmental considerations, theoretical influences on your approach, and the challenges and successes you experienced. Four of eight pages are reflection, which tells you exactly where the weight of this assignment sits. That is also the section most students underwrite, producing a page of narration when the assignment wants examination of your own responses during the session — what you noticed, what you did with it, and where your own reaction shaped the interaction. Four pages of narration will read as a long session summary rather than as graduate-level reflective practice.
The DAP note is the technical component and it has a fixed shape worth getting right. Data is what was observed and reported, recorded without interpretation; Assessment is your clinical thinking about what the data means; Plan is what happens next. The commonest error is smuggling interpretation into the Data section — writing that a child was anxious, which is an inference, rather than recording that she paused, pressed hard enough to tear the paper, and asked twice whether it was finished. Keeping the two apart is exactly what the format is designed to teach. For the theoretical influences section, name a framework rather than gesturing at eclecticism, and connect the developmental considerations to the actual age of the child you worked with, since a technique that suits a six-year-old is not the same one that suits a fourteen-year-old, and saying which age you worked with makes that section concrete.
Likely learning objectives
Inferred from the brief — check these against your own rubric.
- 01Apply a named therapeutic technique in a real session and document it professionally.
- 02Separate observation from interpretation in clinical documentation.
- 03Reflect analytically on your own responses during a session rather than narrating it.
Read the full question
Review every instruction before using the planning guidance that follows.
Course-wide instructions that accompany this question
You must proofread your paper. But do not strictly rely on your computer’s spell-checker and grammar-checker; failure to do so indicates a lack of effort on your part and you can expect your grade to suffer accordingly. Papers with numerous misspelled words and grammatical mistakes will be penalized. Read over your paper – in silence and then aloud – before handing it in and make corrections as necessary. Often it is advantageous to have a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors. Handwritten corrections are preferable to uncorrected mistakes. Use a standard 10 to 12 point (10 to 12 characters per inch) typeface. Smaller or compressed type and papers with small margins or single-spacing are hard to read. It is better to let your essay run over the recommended number of pages than to try to compress it into fewer pages Likewise, large type, large margins, large indentations, triple-spacing, increased leading (space between lines), increased kerning (space between letters), and any other such attempts at “padding” to increase the length of a paper are unacceptable, wasteful of trees, and will not fool your professor. The paper must be neatly formatted, double-spaced with a one-inch margin on the top, bottom, and sides of each page. When submitting hard copy, be sure to use white paper and print out using dark ink. If it is hard to read your essay, it will also be hard to follow your argument. ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CLASS Discussion Questions (DQ) Initial responses to the DQ should address all components of the questions asked, include a minimum of one scholarly source, and be at least 250 words. Successful responses are substantive (i.e., add something new to the discussion, engage others in the discussion, well-developed idea) and include at least one scholarly source. One or two sentence responses, simple statements of agreement or “good post,” and responses that are off-topic will not count as substantive. Substantive responses should be at least 150 words. I encourage you to incorporate the readings from the week (as applicable) into your responses. Weekly Participation Your initial responses to the mandatory DQ do not count toward participation and are graded separately. In addition to the DQ responses, you must post at least one reply to peers (or me) on three separate days, for a total of three replies. Participation posts do not require a scholarly source/citation (unless you cite someone else’s work). Part of your weekly participation includes viewing the weekly announcement and attesting to watching it in the comments. These announcements are made to ensure you understand everything that is due during the week. APA Format and Writing Quality Familiarize yourself with APA format and practice using it correctly. It is used for most writing assignments for your degree. Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for APA paper templates, citation examples, tips, etc. Points will be deducted for poor use of APA format or absence of APA format (if required). Cite all sources of information! When in doubt, cite the source. Paraphrasing also requires a citation. I highly recommend using the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition. Use of Direct Quotes I discourage overutilization of direct quotes in DQs and assignments at the Masters’ level and deduct points accordingly. As Masters’ level students, it is important that you be able to critically analyze and interpret information from journal articles and other resources. Simply restating someone else’s words does not demonstrate an understanding of the content or critical analysis of the content. It is best to paraphrase content and cite your source. LopesWrite Policy For assignments that need to be submitted to LopesWrite, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me. Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes. Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own? Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score. Late Policy The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies. Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances. If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect. I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension. As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading. Communication Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me: Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class. Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours. Discussion: Counseling Technique written Paper
Turn the brief into deliverables
- 01A 7-8 page paper excluding title and reference pages.
- 02A DAP note for the session conducted.
- 03Four pages of reflection on your responses and the process.
- 04Goals, developmental considerations and theoretical influences, with at least three references.
Technique, DAP note, reflection, then goals
The technique, practised
Name the art therapy technique, its purpose, and describe the session as conducted.
The DAP note
Document data, assessment and plan with observation and inference kept apart.
Reflection on your responses
Examine what you noticed in yourself, what you did with it, and how it shaped the interaction.
Goals and developmental considerations
State what the technique addresses and how the child's developmental stage shaped it.
Theory, challenges and successes
Name the theoretical influences and evaluate what worked and what did not.
Sources for the technique and the note format
Recommended databases
- American Art Therapy Association
- PsycINFO
- Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association
- Your programme's documentation guidance
- PubMed Central
Search sequence
- 1.Read the professional body's scope statement, which matters when a student practises a technique with a real child.
- 2.Find a source describing your chosen technique's aims so the goals section is grounded rather than invented.
- 3.Use your programme's own DAP guidance for the note format, since conventions vary between courses.
- 4.Search for developmental considerations at your child's specific age rather than across childhood.
Reference shortlist
These are authoritative starting points, not a ready-made bibliography. A qualified reviewer must confirm that each source fits the assignment and supports the claim beside which it is cited.
Nothing here is cleared for citation until you have read it.
- 01
About Art Therapy
American Art Therapy Association · 2024
The professional body's definition and scope, which matters here because the assignment asks a student to practise a technique with a real child.
- 02
Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct
American Psychological Association · 2017
The competence and human relations standards that bear on practising a technique with a family member, which this assignment involves.
- 03
About Adverse Childhood Experiences
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · 2024
Context for the developmental considerations section, particularly where a child's history shapes what a technique can reach.
- 04
Counseling Ethics & ACA Code of Ethics Resources
American Counseling Association · 2025
Relevant to the dual relationship created by practising with a relative, which the reflection section should address.
Review before submission
Common mistakes
- Narrating the session instead of reflecting on your own responses within it.
- Putting inference into the Data section of the DAP note.
- Choosing a technique without naming the theory it belongs to.
- Giving developmental considerations generically rather than for the child's actual age.
Submission checklist
- Does each page allocation in the brief have corresponding content?
- Is the Data section of the DAP note free of interpretation?
- Does the reflection examine your responses rather than recount events?
- Are the developmental considerations specific to the age you worked with?
Use this guide to plan and review your own work. Follow your institution's rules and read our academic-integrity policy.
Written by
Aaron Bishop
MA, Education
assignment interpretation and research-methods coaching across disciplines
Aaron leads the EssayCrackers editorial desk. He works on how assignment briefs are read — what a rubric is actually asking for, and where students most often answer a different question than the one set.
Reviewed by
Dr. Nathan Cole
PhD, Rhetoric & Composition
Argumentation and thesis development
Nathan teaches first-year composition and directs a university writing center. He reviews EssayCrackers guides for argumentative soundness and citation accuracy.